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Thursday, May 31, 2012

I truly hope that everyone has had a spectacular May For Me - I know I have. The Bingo will continue to be called until we have the final Bingo - Blackout (completely covered card). It would so nice of all of you to give Tonya a huge thank you - she was the brain-child of the Quilt Bingo (planning began in Dec) and has fielded all the complaints and questions all month - I am sure she could use some love in her e-mail today.

My last project to show for the month is a variation of the Jelly Roll Race quilt - great idea of Sheila at Sew,Cook,Travel - the link takes you to her version which has those squares so nicely scattered, mine not so. I think I will applique a black silhouette of some kind in those spaces. This will be linked up with Megan's 'Let me see your Jelly Roll' monthly challenge over at Crooked Seams - you should consider this challenge next month. Don't have a Jelly Roll? Cut your own out of your stash - Sheila does it all the time and just amazes me with her strip quilts.

And a piece I didn't photo for the 12" Mini Club, two Cross Stitch pieces I can't show as they may be part of a swap, and some blocks preparing for the Red/White/Blue Blog Hop. Hey - it was a 5 week month!

Be sure to see what others have created for NewFo over at Barbara's Cat Patches.

CLOSING THOUGHT

"Sweet May hath come to love us,
Flowers, trees, their blossoms don;
And through the blue heavens above us
The very clouds move on."
- Heinrich Heine, Book of Songs

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

This is my Summertime Adventures - On the Go project for Clover & Violet - the last project of the series. Can't show the whole piece as it is a swap - and every seam is being covered, just have this section to finish. But it has been fun to play with crazy quilting and I used this directory to help with stitches. I love to change the pace of machine piecing with some handwork and this is a connection to heritage, vintage needlework. I'm not an 'on-the-go' person, but this project can be taken in it's basket to my front porch, for a bit of relaxing in the afternoon or early evening.

Sewingly Yours,
Sharon

**NY State was on Tornado Alert all day and into the night yesterday - I mailed out all outstanding Jelly Roll May For Me prizes this morning**

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

I was able to enjoy working on the Sliced Apples QAL project over the holiday weekend. I changed my choice of fabrics and went with a layer cake - Birchbark Lodge by Holly Taylor. And I changed from the original border lay out to a piano key border - I just like those with a scrappy quilt. **will link up with Patchwork Times**

And I received this lovely package in the mail - my Alphabet Swap parcel from Danette at Quilting Chemist! A wonderful apron made in Aqua & Apricot fabrics, Asian FQ, Animal buttons, Apricot ribbon, and Azure Thread. I look forward to the 'B' swap.

**UPDATE - just got word - my doll quilt and doll that is in the finals - well she was part of the Monthly Doll Quilt Swap - she has arrived safely in Germany - 4 1/2 weeks of sweating nerves! And Leonie is just finding out the specialty of her swap - happy endings**

Monday, May 28, 2012

Oh, Happy Dance and so many THANK YOUS - I just got word that my doll quilt is in the final voting over at Amy's Creative Side (just click on Amy and it will take you to voting page). I see some of my blogging friends there too - Congratulations ladies! So please pop over and give your favorites a vote in each of the catagories. Again THANK YOU for adding to my May For Me.

First - thank you Tonya for taking on my Bingo Words while I am fighting my computer. Second - I can use my SIL's to catch up, answer comments, and collect my adress information (but at once a day). So I want to end my MAY (maybe not as planned) with the last May For Me give away. Keeping it simple - be a follower and have a way for me to contact you (yes, I ship international as you have seen)- tell me your favorite picnic food. I will try to respond to comments,

Friday, May 25, 2012

As we headed out to the car to go into our little rural town to enjoy gathered neighbors for it's Memorial Parade - a sudden wafting large shadow appeared above. A young bald Eagle, riding the up drafts from the farm cliff edge. He seemed to hang in mid-air and then dropped and soared the entire length of our country lane. Circled back and tipped his wing as if to salute and then went back up into the mountain side. A sobering reminder.

Thursday, May 24, 2012

No I did not make this. This lovely doll quilt came on my Birthday and was made by Sher for the Doll Quilter's Monthly Swap. It is called 'Hide & Go Spool' - an older pattern done nicely in such wonderful scraps. You don't see the spools? Look at the white instead of the color. And though Sher and I are on opposite coasts, my SIL and I could pick out so many fabrics that are in my scrap bins. I just love it!

And with this sweet card, she also added in some cute Mary Englebreit that I collect. A sweet little journal and cute tin which I am quickly tucking my pretty glass head silk pins into. Thank you so much Sher, a perfect ending to my day.

MEATBALL THURSDAY

Tonya invited us for Meatball Thursday Dinner. So I am sharing a 'recipe' from the past. My many years of Cub and Boy Scouting, you had to find meals that not only were nutritious, but easy to fix, traveled well and that the boys would eat.

Use an 18 x 12-inch long sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil. Place equal amounts of meatballs, onions, and zucchini in center of each; top each with 1/2 cup spaghetti sauce. Bring shorter edges of foil together over the center; fold down loosely to seal, allowing room for heat expansion and circulation. Fold in open ends to seal.

To serve, carefully unfold ends and tops of packets; sprinkle cheese over meatballs. ** We usually soaked fresh corn in their shucks in cold water all day and that was placed right in the coals to cook 20 mins - turning once. Add some fresh fruit on the side**

You certainly can make your own favorite meatballs, change your sauce and vegies, do them on the grill or in the oven (400 degrees on cookie sheet)
Oh - the reason we used Zucchini (other than we all had tons from our gardens) is the usual foil dinner uses potato, but if you don't pre-boil/cook them, those potatoes never cook!!!

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

I belong to a yahoo group - CyberQuilters4-C Bees and each month a technique is pulled from the 'bucket' list - suggestions by the members. This month was the 'twister'. I have had this top sewn for almost a year. A 'Puttin' on the Ritz' in grey layer cake. It was perfect time to pull it out and play with it. Added the Kona black border.

I didn't take photo's of the cutting - duh! My SIL helped me do the cutting because of my 'boo-boo' fingers. She is just starting to use the rotary, so we went slow - one block-row at a time and stitched that row, so as not to lose the pattern flow. The black is from the border and can be re-used with the cute little 'blocks' left from that wonky cut - a final border treatment. So those little bits of 'scribble' are my only waste. Not bad.

This is the resulting quilt top - from 36 squares from a layer cake with a 6.5" black border - I got a 53.5" unfinished square top. I really like how this came out, but it will sit for the final border and quilting as I have other 'time sensitive' projects to get to.

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

WOW - over 500 entrants in the Blogger's Quilt Festival - that's better than Market for me. Today the voting begins. You may want to open two windows: one with the entrants and one with the voting form - it will make it much easier.

I started with Marcia's steps for making the Zig Zag blocks - pulled a lot of fun bright scraps for the colors in the Color Challene and I happened to have a couple of left over white strips from the Christmas Quilt Along project.

Putting the 1.5" strips on first - they already look like yummy candy.

After adding the 2" strips to the opposite sides, I cut my blocks into quarters per Marcia's directions.

Although Marcia shows how to cut 'wonky' at 3.25" squares - I hate odd sizes, and found my 3.5" ruler plopped right into action - made the cutting easier for me.

Oh, happy dance! Look at all those yummy candy pieces that I get to play with now.

Once I put my strips together I changed gears. Instead of one piece, I would make 3 projects from these. A table runner with 2 place mats.

Adding my white borders and I am so loving this. Do you think it looks like those candy pieces?

The runner and place mats ready to sandwich up and take on the next challenge - FMQ.

I used the wide meander with the secondary meander on the runner. I found that I slipped into my 'ribbon meander' that Marcia shows on her blog - I just like it and just kind of went to it auto pilot.

Hard to show a close up as the white fabric wants to glare.

HA - surprised you! Yeah, went bold with my backing. Hopefully you can see the FMQ. And my fun dotty binding.

The placemats I used the large meander with the boxy secondary. I had to concentrate on not slipping into that curvy mode.

A close up of the FMQ Challenge.

And this fun set together. I hope I met all my challenges - Color, FMQ, and Zig Zag. I had fun with this project and enjoyed sharing it with you. What challenge will you take on?

Remember to check in with Marcia, Tonya, and Snoodles for their words as well as what they may share for May For Me.

If you get a BINGO contact Tonya at Hillbilly Handiworks.***PLEASE*** CHECK THE PRIZE/WINNER PAGES ON TONYA'S AND MARCIA'S BLOGS - THERE ARE BINGOS THAT HAVE BEEN COMPLETED/WON AND THEREFORE DONE - ONLY CALL A BINGO FOR THOSE STILL OPEN THANK YOU***

I will be sharing a May For Me in a second post today,
Sewingly Yours,
Sharon

Monday, May 21, 2012

This weeks challenge for Clover & Violet's Summertime Adventures was childrens' toys. I found this cute tutorial at Just Another HangUp for a rice filled 'boo-boo' ice pack. I changed them into a version of 'Angry Birds' bean bags to take to my grandson's up coming 5th Birthday party. Being there will be little ones from 2-5 yrs. old (most throw backwards), I filled them half with fiberfill and half cup of plastic 'doll' pellets. I put them in a cup while filling to catch any loose pellets. Then put a bit of fiber fill to hold pellets while I stitched the opening closed. Made a little mesh bag to hold those birds when not in play and I drug out my old hula hoop - Yes, still have it. Now they can play a safe game of tossing the birds into the hula hoop.

If you get a BINGO contact Tonya at Hillbilly Handiworks.
Some of you are getting discouraged - Don't - I gave up on a quilt bingo once and had I stayed with it, I would have had the 'black-out' and grand prize.

***PLEASE*** CHECK THE PRIZE/WINNER PAGES ON TONYA'S AND MARCIA'S BLOGS - THERE ARE BINGOS THAT HAVE BEEN COMPLETED/WON AND THEREFORE DONE - ONLY CALL A BINGO FOR THOSE STILL OPEN THANK YOU***

Hands2Help - Sarah has a post up with all the sponsors and give aways. Final linkup for finished quilts is May 28th **All quilts should be in place of chosen charity BY June 8th**

Traveling Stash - click that suitcase button - Cherise has updated

IT'S BIRTHDAY WEEK GIVE AWAY TIME

Yes, my Birthday is this week - the 23rd to be exact. Thank you all for helping me celebrate so far this month. SO a special week, a special give away::::

A jelly roll for each day!!!!! Moda Marbles, 'Puttin' on the Ritz by BunnyHill (blue), 'Little Rascal' by Chloe's Closet, 'Etchings' by 3 Sisters, and Grand Finale by Sandy Gevais. What do you have to do? Well be a follower - this party is for you .(NO THIS IS NOT IN THE SEWMAMASEW GIVE AWAY) I will ship international. Answer this question to enter:

If you could, as a May For Me treat to yourself, have any one designer or teacher come to your home for a personal 'one-on-one' class - who would it be and why? (This was our behind the scenes conversation) I would love to have Bonnie Hunter come and play along in my scraps - she has been in NY state twice recently and I couldn't get in the classes.

Comments will be open until Saturday, May 26 8PM and I will announce by 9PM (EST)

Friday, May 18, 2012

Amy's Creative side is hosting the Spring Bloggers Quilt festival. Amy Ellis has created this virtual quilt show to coincide with Quilt Market in the spring and fall of each year. For those of us unable to attend Quilt Market, it gives us a wonderful opportunity to share and be inspired by other's quilts. I encourage you to submit a quilt of your own, and then make sure you take a look at all the delightful quilts that are linked!

MY ENTRY FOR THE BLOGGER'S SPRING 2012 QUILT FESTIVAL - DOLL QUILT

I love the soothing color blend even though there are so many orphan charms from so many fabric lines. Some became bricks, some became HSTs. Can you pick them out? And the lites are a variety of fabric lines, too. And the border is a left-over trim from squaring up a quilt back.

I played with three different border treatments before I went with the applique leaves (cut from charms), tiny yo-yo's (made from charms-quartered), and buttons. And in keeping with the 3 - used three different color quilting threads (pink, blue,moss green) - well, I like to use two strands of floss to quilt with.

Binding is a mix of orphan charms, keeping with the blend of the quilt. I used an old "Tuscany Collection" fabric for the back. This doll quilt measures 18" x 22" and I just loved working on this.

And you need a dollie to go with your doll quilt. Her body is scrap bits of muslin and she is dressed with the same eclectic orphan charms in the quilt. The same floss was used to stitch her clothing as well as attach her fabric 'charming' hair.

And a special label that also speaks my other crafting love - Cross Stitch. The little bundle was part of a swap at Doll Quilter's Monthly and I was hoping it would have reached Leonie before this - hope she is not peeking - it's been 3 weeks traveling to Germany.

Thank you for stopping in and please be sure to visit all the other lovely entrants HERE.

Thank you for reading and being a part of this blog. Although I am sharing all of this content with you, please remember that I reserve all rights to the photos, blog posts, and all other content of this site. You may not claim any of my original works as your own idea, and please do not use any tutorials or patterns for commercial purposes. VroomansQuilts at BlogSpot - any other scraped blog has no rightful claim and should remove